


After the bang!

by Jessymessy101



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: Acceptance, Aftermath of Violence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crash & Burn, Denial of Feelings, Episode Tag, Explosions, First Kiss, Greg is Sweet, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, One Shot, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Season/Series 11, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 08:10:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14184636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jessymessy101/pseuds/Jessymessy101
Summary: Nick struggles to cope after officer Clarke's death and the following explosion at his funeral.He also thought he could move on now Alex McCann was dead and the threat was over.Until he gets a phone call...





	After the bang!

"Hey Nicky" Greg walked hesitantly into the lab where Nick was sat attempting to process the evidence. His eyes looked blood shot and he looked like he had aged ten years in one morning.

 

Nick took his hands away from the evidence and rubbed them over his face, sighing at the sight of Greg. He was relieved it was just Greg and not catherine coming to tell him to go home. He was almost sleeping on his feet but he didnt want to stop, he couldn't stop he needed to get answers, if not for himself then for officer clarkes family.

 

"You look like crap" Greg smiled warmly at him taking the que from Nicks smile to approach him.

 

"Thanks G" Nick couldnt break the smile on his face, greg had always had a way of making him feel comfortable and he hadnt realised just how much he needed that feeling since the explosion.

 

"You feeling alright?" Greg placed his hand on Nicks shoulder trying to comfort his friend.

 

"Im not great" he huffed out.

 

"You should go home, although I know thats not going to happen so do me a favour and take a break"

 

"I cant do that G, I need to get justice for..." Nick pathetically gestured at the mess of evidence in front of him as he suddenly broke down the tears streaming down his face as his breath hitched in his throat.

 

"Hey, hey come on, you're no good to officer clarke or yourself for that matter if you run yourself into the ground like this" Greg's grip tightened on his shoulder reminding Nick he was still with him.

 

"I know that G but I just keep thinking..."

 

"Theres your problem...dont think so much" greg smiled down at Nick who couldnt help but laugh at his friend but the wave of guilt hit him like a flash flood.

 

"Promise me you'll take a break" greg had succeeded in calming nick down at least. The older man nodded up at Greg and wiped the tear stains from his cheeks.

 

"Good, look if you need me at all you know where to find me okay" greg squeezed his shoulder once more before leaving Nick alone.

 

...............................

 

Nick was just saying goodbye to the department shrink when his phone buzzed in his pocket, he had it on silent during the session so he could give the doctor his full attention.

 

When he shot Alex McCann his hands had shook and his mind went into overdrive as he struggled to re-load his gun. It took shooting a kid to get him to accept he wasnt okay and he wouldnt be for a while yet but at least he was taking the right steps. Greg would be proud he immediately thought as he closed the door behind him.

 

He shook away the image of Greg and took his phone from his pocket the caller ID said it was Brass.

 

"Hey Brass, we got a case?" He knew the drill but nothing prepared him for what Brass told him.

 

"Nicky theres been another explosion...Greg he's been hurt" Nick froze, he thought it was finally over that he could start moving on from this nightmare.

 

"Where is he?" Nick sounded almost angry like someone was about to get a beating of a life time for putting Greg in danger.

 

"Desert palm, Catherines already there" brass said but couldn't say another word because Nick was cutting him off with a click of a button.

 

..........................

 

Nick ran through the corridors of desert palm ignoring the porter he banged into and the mop bucket he spilt over the floor. He had one motive and one destination...Greg.

 

"Catherine, where is he?" Catherine was talking to one of the doctors when he spotted the senior CSI.

 

"Nick, what are you doing here I told you to go home." Catherine was irritated she needed Nick on top form and he was damaged at the moment.

 

"Brass called he thought I should know what happened to Greg...which is more than I can say for you...why didnt you call me?" Nick sounded hurt.

 

"I didnt want you to worry for nothing, youve got enough going on right now...believe it or not Nick I was thinking of you" catherine seemed sincere but Nick was wound up and she was the perfect outlet for that.

 

"That wasnt your decision to make!" He snapped "now where is he?" He saw the look of hurt and shock on her face at his outburst and he immediately felt even more guilty than he already was.

 

"Hes back there" she pointed to a room behind her never taking her wide eyes from Nick.

 

"Im sorry cath, I didnt mean to snap..." He wanted to explain what was going on in his head but he couldnt find the words. Luckily for Nick, Catherine knew him well enough to know he was hurting so she let it slide.

 

Placing a hand on his shoulder she smiled sympathetically "we are here for you Nick" she smiled and squeezed his shoulder running her hand down his arm letting him go.

 

When Nick reached the room he saw Greg through the window and he stopped. The younger CSI was perched on the edge of a bed, still wearing his singed clothes from the explosion and he had soot on his face. He looked older some how and his gaze was fixed to the far wall ignoring the nurse that was applying some stitches to his forehead. The wound looked serious enough from where Nick was stood, enough so that it required stitches and the reminantes of the blood now sticky as it dried on his cheek.

 

Gregs vacant eyes snapped back to life as soon as Nick pushed the door open.

 

"Nick?" Greg was surprised and the quick movement made him wince in pain as the stitches pulled against his brow.

 

"Brass called, said you'd been hurt" Nick hovered in the doorway not sure what to do with himself, he seemed to be waiting for permission.

 

"Nothing a few stitches cant fix" greg, always the joker even in the most serious of situations.

 

"This is my fault" Nick muttered looking down at his feet.

 

The nurse sensed a serious conversation brewing and finished up, snapping off her gloves she left the two men alone.

 

"This isnt your fault Nick! Why would you think that?" Greg didnt get up as moving was still difficult.

 

"If I hadnt shot Alex McCann then this would never have happened"

 

"This didnt happen because of that! Whoever is doing this wanted it to happen regardless" Greg turned carefully onto the end of the bed so he was facing Nick.

 

"You say that, but...."

 

"But nothing, Nick...you just feel guilty because of officer Clarke and that guilt is reflecting onto this case...it doesnt mean any of it is your fault" Greg always knew just what to say.

 

"I feel like I failed, I failed officer Clarke I didnt get justice for his family and now you" Nick was feeling self destructive.

 

"Nick you're a hero!"

 

"Hardly" he scoffed at Greg's comment.

 

"You are to me! You put yourself between 50 guests at a funeral, most of whom had their guns drawn on you, and a giant bomb! Nick you saved those people....so yes officer Clarke died but from that you managed to save his entire family from the same fate" Greg had ignored all pain and had gotten up from the bed to stand directly in front of Nick.

 

Nick could feel the tears falling but the soft touch wiping them away gave him stength. He found his own fingers tracing the stitches on Greg's forehead gently counting each one, they represented the fact he had survived that he was still with him!

 

"You're okay" it wasnt a question and Greg just laughed warmly at the comment.

 

"You will be too...in time" Greg grabbed Nicks wrist and pulled it away from his face slowly entwining their fingers.

 

"How do you know that?" Nick asked slightly sceptical that how he was feeling right now would ever go away.

 

"Because I was" greg spoke looking up at Nick.

 

"The explosion" Nick huffed out the breath he didnt realise he'd been holding. Of course Greg knew just what to say, he had already been through it himself. 

 

"I think of that moment every day, it was the only way that was going to help me come to terms with it. By remembering it I acknowledge it happened, that way I never forget what I went through and how strong I've become for getting over it" Greg explain and the words made an impact on Nick, he knew how brave Greg was after the lab explosion and for every terrible event since then. Greg was always the strong one and no matter what life threw at them he would always be the strong one for everyone else. 

 

"You're amazing" Nick stroked his hand down Greg's arm pulling him closer, both for his own comfort, to know he was there and safe and to bring his lips up to his own. Greg's lips were dry and chapped from the explosion but Nick didnt care because it meant he was still here. As he deepened the kiss Greg began to reciprocate and dig his fingers through Nick's hair pulling the soft downy hair at the back of his neck.

 

Greg broke away for air pressing the undamaged side of his head into Nicks chest.

 

"Promise me something Nick" Greg began. Nick merely hummed in response as he traced his finger tips over Greg's spine.

 

"Promise me you'll fine a way to move past all this" his tone turned serious and Nick breathed deeply pushing away the pain he had felt since the bullet pierced his shoulder.

 

"I already have" Nick pulled Greg back into his embrace and kissed him softly and with every ounce of pain and guilt slowly melting away with every second his lips were on his.

  
  
  
  



End file.
